NET Rankings: Purdue Basketball's Win at the Palestra Reflected as Penn State Home Game
Purdue basketball defeated Penn State 76-63 on Sunday at the Palestra in Philadelphia, a matchup that was originally designated as a neutral-site contest between the two Big Ten programs.
However, since the Nittany Lions were in charge of ticket sales and all game-day operations, the NCAA NET rankings have changed to reflect the game as a road victory for the Boilermakers.
FYI: NCAA NET has been changed to reflect the @BoilerBall @PennStateMBB game Sunday at the Palestra was a Penn State home game. Big road win for Purdue! Right call. Penn State controlled tickets and all game operations. And if you were there you saw/felt a home game environment.
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) January 10, 2023
Purdue, which ranks No. 3 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 College Basketball poll, is now tied with No. 2 Kansas for the best record in Quadrant 1 matchups. Both teams are 6-1, with the only loss for the Boilermakers coming at the hands of Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights won 65-64 at Mackey Arena on Monday, Jan. 2.
In Sunday's meeting between Purdue and Penn State, the Boilermakers trailed 37-31 at halftime before mounting a dominant second-half effort. Junior center Zach Edey scored 30 points on 14-of-21 shooting while adding 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
The Nittany Lions scored just 26 points after the break and shot 11-of-30 from the field in the second half. Fifth-year senior guard Jalen Pickett led the team with 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Freshman guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined for 32 points, including seven 3-pointers, with nine assists, eight rebounds and just one turnover between them.
Purdue returns home at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 13, to host Nebraska at Mackey Arena. It will be the second meeting of the season between the two programs, with the Boilermakers escaping Lincoln, Neb., with a 65-62 overtime win on Dec. 10. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- Purdue Drops to No. 3 in Latest AP Top 25 Poll: Purdue basketball suffered its first loss of the season last week before earning back-to-back wins away from West Lafayette. The Boilermakers are 15-1 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten play, coming in at No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25 poll. CLICK HERE
- Zach Edey Named Big Ten Basketball Player of the Week: Purdue junior center Zach Edey averaged 21.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the team's last three games, which included a pair of victories away from home. He garnered his fourth Big Ten Basketball Player of the Week award of the season. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Dominates Second Half in 76-63 Win Over Penn State: Purdue junior center Zach Edey scored 30 points and came down with 13 rebounds in a dominant victory over Penn State on Sunday at the Palestra. The Boilermakers held the Nittany Lions to just 26 points in the second half. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Penn State Photo Gallery at the Palestra: Purdue basketball improved to 15-1 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten play with a 76-63 win over Penn State on Sunday at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Relive some of the action by scrolling through our photo gallery. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.